A position estimation unit (2) comprising a first transceiver device (3) and a processing unit (10) that is arranged to repeatedly calculate time-of-flight (TOF) for radio signals (x.sub.1, x.sub.2, x.sub.3, x.sub.4, x.sub.5, x.sub.6) sent pair-wise between two transceivers among the first transceiver device (3) and at least two other transceiver devices (7, 8, 9); calculate possible positions for the transceiver devices (3, 7, 8, 9), which results in possible positions for each transceiver device (3, 7, 8, 9); and perform Multidimensional scaling (MDS) calculation in order to obtain relative positions of the transceiver devices (3, 7, 8, 9) in a present coordinate system. After two initial MDS calculations, between every two consecutive MDS calculations, the processing unit (10) is arranged to repeatedly perform a processing procedure comprising translation, scaling and rotation of present coordinate system such that a corrected present coordinate system is acquired. The processing procedure is arranged to determine the corrected present coordinate system such that a smallest change for the relative positions of the transceiver devices (3, 7, 8, 9) between the consecutive MDS calculations is obtained.

An apparatus comprising a transceiver, an antenna and a processor. The transceiver may be configured to send/receive data messages to/from a plurality of vehicles. The antenna may be configured to receive signals from GNSS satellites. The processor may be configured to (i) determine a first region based on relative coordinates calculated using the data messages, (ii) determine a second region calculated using the signals received from the GNSS satellites, (iii) determine whether a pre-determined amount of the first region to the second region overlap and (iv) increase a confidence level of a positional accuracy of the plurality of vehicles if the pre-determined amount of the first region and the second region overlap. One of the vehicles implements one or more automatic responses based on the confidence level of the positional accuracy.

An apparatus comprising a processor and a transceiver. The processor may (i) receive messages from a plurality of vehicles and (ii) determine relative coordinates of the vehicles based on the messages. The transceiver may (i) communicate the messages using a first channel in a first range and (ii) communicate short messages using a second channel in a second range. Communicating using the second channel may consume more power than communicating using the first channel. The messages may be sent from the transceiver to a cluster head within the first range. The short messages may communicate less data than the messages. The short messages may be sent directly to a target vehicle outside of the first range to determine an associated cluster head for the target vehicle. The messages may be sent to the target vehicle from the associated cluster head via the cluster head within the first range.

An apparatus comprising a transceiver module and a processor. The transceiver may be configured to send/receive data messages to/from a plurality of vehicles. The processor may be configured to (i) determine a plurality of selected vehicles from the plurality of vehicles based on a selection criteria and (ii) calculate relative coordinates of the plurality of vehicles based on the data messages from the selected vehicles. The selection criteria may comprise determining (i) a target vehicle and (ii) at least two complementary vehicles. A predicted trajectory of the target vehicle may cross paths with a predicted trajectory of the apparatus. The complementary vehicles may be selected based on (i) an arrangement of the plurality of vehicles and (ii) speeds of the plurality of vehicles.

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to detect and/or classify a vehicle occupant, such as a passenger seated within the cockpit of a vehicle. An occupant classification system includes an occupant weight sensor, an occupant presence sensor, and a logic device configured to communicate with the occupant weight sensor and the occupant presence sensor. The logic device is configured to receive occupant weight sensor signals from the occupant weight sensor and occupant presence sensor signals from the occupant presence sensor, determine an estimated occupant weight and an occupant presence response based, at least in part, on the occupant weight sensor signals and the occupant presence sensor signals, and determine an occupant classification status corresponding to the passenger seat based, at least in part, on the estimated occupant weight and/or the occupant presence response.

A sensing assembly for detecting a temperature of a tire of a vehicle comprises a fender, one or more cavities, and at least one contactless temperature sensor. The fender comprises an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface of the fender defines the one or more cavities. The contactless temperature sensor is seated within each of the one or more cavities. Further, the contactless temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature of the tire of the vehicle.

A method for detecting airbag deployment includes operating a plurality of sensors of the mobile device disposed in a vehicle during a drive to obtain a plurality of measurement signals, determining a change in at least one measurement signal of the plurality of measurement signals and that the change exceeds a first threshold. In response to determining that the change exceeds the first threshold, obtaining a pressure measurement signal from a pressure sensor of the plurality of sensors, determining a derivative of the pressure measurement signal, and determining that the derivative of the pressure measurement signal exceeds a second threshold. In response to determining that the derivative of the pressure measurement signal exceeds the second threshold, detecting a deployment of a vehicle airbag based on the change in the at least one measurement signal exceeding the first threshold and the derivative of the pressure measurement signal exceeding the second threshold.

A detection system for vehicle includes a reader and a first detector. The reader is provided in a vehicle, transmits and receives radio signals, and transmits transmission signals including at least radio signals for supplying electric power. The first detector is driven by the radio signals for supplying electric power included in the transmission signals when receiving the transmission signals and can transmit first response signals output in response to the transmission signals to the reader. The first detector is disposed in a sitting area on a seat where the first response signals transmitted to the reader are blocked. The reader determines a sitting state of a passenger based on whether the first response signals are received in response to the transmission signals.

Methods and apparatus for determining seatbelt status are disclosed. An example system includes a plurality of seats including seatbelts. Each of the seatbelts includes a sensor to detect a position of a respective seatbelt, the position including at least one of a fastened position or an unfastened position, and a transceiver to wirelessly communicate the position of the respective seatbelt. The system includes a remote monitoring unit to receive the positions of the seatbelts. The remote monitoring unit is to determine if one or more seats are occupied and, in response to determining that one or more seats are occupied, the remote monitoring unit is to display an overview the seats and the respective positions of the seatbelts for the one or more occupied seats.

A system for managing a seat occupancy status by a passenger and a control method of the system includes a seat belt sensor provided for each seat to detect a fastening or unfastening of the seat belt, a pressure detection unit provided for each seat to detect occupancy or non-occupancy of a seat by a passenger and pressure of the seated passenger, a secondary control unit provided for each seat and woken up by radio communication with a vehicle to alert to an unfastened state of the seat belt when the seat belt is unfastened upon determining, by a seat belt sensor, whether the seat belt is fastened, and a primary control unit provided in the vehicle to perform radio communications with each secondary control unit and check an abnormality based on reception or non-reception of the system data transmitted from the secondary control unit.